TIMMINS - For anyone plugged into the gaming world, Tuesday marked a significant milestone as the long-awaited release of Grand Theft Auto 5 had people lining up to be the first to get their copy at locations throughout the Timmins area.

Five long years after Grand Theft Auto 4 was released, Logan Kant was first in line to pick up the newest installment in the popular crime series shortly after its midnight release.

â€œI got here just before the mall closed, around 8:50 p.m.â€ he said. â€œItâ€™s the newest version of it, and just like anyone else in line here tonight. I think weâ€™re all here because it looks so badass.â€

The game set industry records with a production cost ringing in at $265 million, a cost which production company Rockstar Games earned back on pre-orders alone.

â€œI pre-ordered it months ago, basically when we were able to pre-order, I did,â€ said Kant. â€œIâ€™m definitely an avid gamer and this is an big moment for me.â€

Industry experts have predicted the game will sell a record 25 million copies over the next year, netting Rockstar a record-breaking $1 billion in profits.

â€œThis game is just so much more realistic than any of the other ones in the past,â€ said Kant. â€œThis is just the best game of its type out there. It blows GTA 4 out of the water and other games like Saints Row donâ€™t even come close.â€

With gamer expectations at an all-time high and marketing projections skyrocketing, Kant isnâ€™t concerned about the possibility of the game being a disappointment.

â€œI am not going to regret this purchase or standing in line for this long, especially, when you think about the fact that I game a lot. This game is really going to probably be much, much more than any of us could have possibly expected.â€

Though Kant was first in line, the prospective wait didnâ€™t phase any of the more than 150 people lined up in the Timmins Square on Monday night, leaving EB Games manager Lisa Hughson more than happy about the launch.

â€œThis isnâ€™t a corporate directive at all,â€ she said. â€œAs a staff, we get to pick and choose which games weâ€™d like to promote and offer a midnight launch like this one and Iâ€™ve got to say, I know that this is going to be a huge success.â€

â€œThis is what gamers love,â€ she said. â€œLining up to be the first to get it, to play it and to brag about their achievements. This is what they thrive on, meeting up with like-minded individuals and sharing the one common passion.â€

The staff at EB were just as excited as those in line, handing out free stuff, from posters and key chains to special edition lanyards to help commemorate the occasion.

â€œThey come out to these launches to be around other people who share their passion,â€ said Hughson. â€œThey exchange gamer tags, scores and interests.

They bond, they hang out and they go home having met some new people, experienced something a little different and above all, with that new amazing game in hand before anyone who chose sleep over gaming.â€